Automatic replacing device for circuit-breakers.



G. S. HOOVER.

AUTOMATIC REPLACING DEVICE FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR 4, 1914.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ononon s. HOOVER, OF'TIPPECANOE, OHIO,

ASSIGNOB OF ONE-SIXTH TO FBEDRIC M.

HOG-HE, ONE-SIXTH TO HARRY G. BONNELL, ONE-SIXTH TO JAMES B.

' GALLAHER, ALL OF TIPPECANOE, 0310.

v AUTOMATIC REPLACING DEVICE FOR CIRCUIT-BREAKERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. Hoovniz, citizen of the United States, residing at Tippecanoe, inthe county of Harrison and State of Ohio, have \invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Beplacing Devices for Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesto new and useful improvements in automatic circuit breakers of the type operated by energization of a solenoid upon overloading or short-circuiting of the circuit which the breaker governs, the primary object of my invention being the provision of a replacerfor closing the circuit breaker as soon as the overload orshort circuit has been removed.

iA further object of mg invention is to so construct and arrange t e replacer for the circuit breaker that the circuit, when broken, will remain open but a very short time before being closed and will be closed by actuation of the circuit breaker in such a manner that if the unnatural conditions of overload or short-circuit still exist, the circuit breaker will again be actuated to again open the circuit. In this connec-' tion the replacer is so arranged 'as to continue to close 'or replace. the circuit breaker at intervals until such time as the circuit breaker shall remain closed due to removal of the overload or short-circuit.

A further object of my invention isto construct the circuit breaker replacer in 'aich ;a manner that it shall be put into operation automatically, by the opening of the cir cuit breaker.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a replacer which will be operated by a motor energized by a shunt circuit led from the main circuit controlled by the circuit breaker.

With these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application filed April 4, 1914. Serial No. 829,617.

The drawing is an elevationalview, partially diagrammatic of my improved circuit breaker and its replacer, together with the wiring of the device.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated mall the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Although the circuit breaker, replacer and co-acting mechanism may be mounted directly upon a wall or in a casing or other suitable place, I have, for the sake of clearness, illustrated the entire apparatus as mounted upon a base or support 10, preferably formed of insulative material. Coacting brackets 11 secured to the base, form a support for the vmutual base 12 of two switches 13 and 14, one secured to either side of the base 12. Theformer of these switches latch 21 swingingly mounted upon a bracket 22 carried by the base 12, the engagement of thislatch and keeper normally holding the switch closed against the action of a spring pressed plunger 23 carried by the baseand engagingthe yoke or "one of the switch blades.

A solenoid 24 carried by a bracket 25 mounted upon the base, has a plunger 26 operatively connected to the latch 21 in such a manner that upon energization of the solenoid, the latch will be swung away from the keeper to free the switch and permit it to swing toopen position because of the pressure of the plunger 23.

As the above described circuit breaker structure is conventional, any description of the connections for the circuit through the .This switch 14 includes the spaced, swingingly mounted switch blades 39 connected at their free ends by a yoke having a handle 40, the yoke or one of the blades carrying a keeper ii for engagement with a latch 42 pivoted intermediate its length upon abracket 43 carried by the switch base l2,this

latch and keeper serving to normally hold the switch in closed position against the action of the spring pressed plunger 44:.

The base 12 is slotted intermediate its length to pivotally mount a trip member 45, one end of which encircles one or both of the switch blades of the circuit'breaker 13 in such a manner as to be depressed upon outward swinging or opening of the switch 13 and the other end of which is operatively joined to the latch 12 by a connecting rod d6. By this means, it will be seen that when the circuit breaker 13 swings to open position, its engagement with the trip 15 will cause a release of the latch 42 and consequent opening of the switch 14, The handles of both switches 13 and 14: are provided at their tree ends with eyes e7, the purpose of which will be later explained.

The line wires 27 and 28 lead to binding posts 29 and 30 carried by the main base 10 and line wires from the circuit breaker mechanism as a whole, indicated by the numerals 31 and 32 lead from the binding posts 33 and 3a of the base 10. Electrical connection between the binding posts 29 and 33 and the binding posts 30 and 34, through the circuit breaker 13 and switch 1% is established by wires 35 and 36 leading from the binding posts 29 and 30 to the pivotal contacts of the switch 14, wires 35' leading from the contacts 19 of tilt; switch 1 4: to

the contacts 13 01% the circuit breaker 13 and wires 37 and 38 leading from the pivotal contacts 16 of the circuit breaker 13 to the binding posts 33 and 3 1.

Mounted upon the main base 10 directly above the switches 13and 14:, is a bracket 48 carrying a motor l9 having spaced guides 56 in which is reciprocally mounted a rack bar 51, the teeth of which mesh with a pin ion 52 carried by the armature shaft of the motor, The rack bar 51 is provided at each end with an upwardly extending finger 53, the purpose of which will be later explained and with a hook or eye 54. Cords 55 and 56 are connected attheir ends to the hooks 54:

and passed inwardly about pulleys 57 being connected at their other ends to the eyes 47 of the handles 17 and 40 ot' the switches 13 and 14. It will thus be apparent that movement of the rack bar 51 toward the right will act through the cord 55 to swing the switch 13 to closed position, while movement of the rack bar in the opposite direction will act through the cord. 56 to close the switch 14. 7 v

A bracket 58 carries spaced contacts 59 and 60, the latter contact being in the form of spaced resilient blades adapted to engage a contact blade 61 carried by a swingingly mounted switch arm 62. This switch arm is provided with a stud 63 for frictional engagement in a resilient socket 64 carried by the bracket 58 to, under certain conditions, hold the switch thus formed in closed position. The swinging switch arm 62 is provided with an eye 65 to which is pivotally connected a rod 66, the opposite end of which is connected to a bell crank lever 67 mounted for swinging movement upon the base 10 and above the rack bar 51. A rod 68 swingingly connects the free end of this lever with the body portion of a pivotally mounted compound trip member 69. This trip member includes hingedly' connected portions 7 0 and 71 so arranged that the terminal portions 71 may swing freely in a direction away from the bell crank lever 64: but cannot swing beyond alinement with the body member of the finger when moved in the opposite direction without swinging the finger as a whole. This compound trip finger is so proportioned and so mounted that upon movement of the rack bar 51 to the left, the adjacent finger 53 of the rack bar will engage the terminal member oi the trip finger to swing it in a clockwise direction without in any way affecting the rod 68. Upon return movement of the rack bar, however, the engagement between the fingers 53 and 69 will cause swinging of the bell crank lever 67 and consequent opening or" the switch 62. The line wires 35 and 36 are connected to a shunt box 72 and wires 73 and 74, forming a shunt circuit, lead from the shunt box to binding posts 75 and 76, the latter wire 7 4 including the switch 61, which consequently controls the shunt circuit.

Mounted upon the base 10 adjacent the binding posts 75 and 76 and above the rack bar 51, is a ole changing switch 77 having the contacts 8 and 79 electrically connected to the binding posts 7 5 and 76 and the contacts 80, 81 and 82. The switch blades 83 and 84 are pivotally connected at one end to the contacts 78 and 79, respectively, and connected to each other at their opposite ends by an insulating yoke 85 in such a manner that they may be swung to engage the contacts 80 and 81, respectively, or the contacts 81 and 82. Binding posts 86 and Y 87 are carried by the base 10 adjacent this fore connected in theshunt circuit and in such a manner that the direction of current through the motor may be reversed to reverse its direction of rotation.

A rod 93 is pivotally connected at one end to the yoke of the pole changing switch 71 and slidably mounted in a guide 94 carried by the base 10. Adjustably mounted, longitudinally of this rod and one adjacent each end, are downwardly depending trip fingers 95 and 96, each adapted to be locked in adjusted position upon the rod by a set bolt 97 and each projecting in the path of the adjacent finger 53 of the rack bar 51.

Having thus described my invention, 1 will now explain its operation as a whole.

Under normal conditions, current in the main circuit passes through the wire 27, wire 35, one of the blades 39 of the switch 14, one of the wires 35, one of the blades of the circuit breaker 13, and the wire 37 and wire 31 to the motor or other electrical apparatus being driven which, as it constitutesno part of the present invention, is not illustrated, from such apparatus through the wires 32 and 38 to the other switch blade 15 of the circuit breaker 13, through the other wire 35 and other switch blade 39 of the switch 14 to the wire 36 and so to the wire 28, this constituting the main circuit. Overloading or shorting of this main circuit causes energization of the solenoid 24 in the usual manner to operate the circuit breaker 13 which, upon movement to open position, releases the switch 14, as previously explained. Release of the swltch 14 causes its handle 40 to engage the switch 61, which under normal conditions is open, to swing it to closed position and so'close the shunt circuit. Under these conditions, current passes through the wire 7 3 and switch blade 83 of the pole changing switch, wire 89 and wire 91 to the motor 49, from this motor 49 through the wire 92, wire 83 and switch blade 84 to the return wire 74. The shunt circuit above traced out, energizes the motor 49 in such a manner as to cause it to drive the rack bar 51 to the right until the finger 53, at the right hand end of the rack bar, engages the finger 95 of the rod 93 to swing the pole changing switch into engagement with its contacts 80 and 81. The

current through the motor is then reversed,

as will be readily understood by reference to the wiring shown in the drawing and the direction of movement of the rack bar 51 reversed as a consequence. In the meantime, the movement of the rack bar 51 to actuate the pole changing switch has also acted through the cord 55 to swing the circuit breaker 13 to closed position.

In further describing the operation I will first assume that during the time occupied in moving the rack bar 51 to the right, as described, the overload or short-circuit has been removed, and will trace out the further operation of my invention upon this assumption. I will then assume that the overload or short-circuit has not been removed and will'trace out the alternate operation of my invention. If the overload or short-circuit has been removed, the rack bar 51, upon movement to the left, through reversal of current through the motor 49, will first pass its finger 53 at its left hand end beyond the compound trip member 69 and will then cause its other finger 53 to engage the finger 96 and again reverse the pole changing switch, swinging it to its original position and reversing the direction of current through the motor a second time. In the meantime, this movement of the rack bar 51 to the left has also closed the switch 14 through the action of the cord 56, Upon this second reversal of the motor 49, the rack bar 51 again moves toward the right until its left hand finger 53 engages the trip memher 69 to swing the lever 67 and open the switch 61 controlling the shunt circuit. This circuit being open, the motion of the motor 49 will stop and all parts will be in original normal position, the main circuit being closed, due to the fact that the circuit breaker and switch 14 have been closed. At this point it should be noted that the trip member 69 and the fingers and 96 should be so positioned as to allow for the inertia of the motor, that is, so positioned as to be engaged before the rack bar has reached the limit of its movement. Assuming now that the main circuit was still subject to an overload or still shorted, after the rack bar 51 had first moved to right hand position to close the circuit breaker, it will be clear that as the cord 55 becomes slackened through movement of the rack bar 51 to the left, the circuit breaker may again open. It will of course be equally clear that further movement of the rack bar 51 to the left and subsequent return movement toward the right will act to close the switch 14 and open the switch 61. As soon, however, as the switch 14 is closed, the circuit breaker 13 will open and again open the switch 14 and close the regular intervals asclong as the .main circuit remains subject to overload or shorted and that as soon as such difiiculty'is removed, the circuit breaker will be closed, leaving the parts as shown in the drawing.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and eflicient form of automatic circuit breaker wreplacer or closer which willbe continually operated to intermittently move the circuit breaker to closed position until such time as the main circuit shall be freed of overload or short-circuits, thereby permitting the circuit breaker to remain closed.

It should be noted that by the employment ofmy circuit breaker and replacer, the circuit is, in effect, broken in two places, there being, as a matter of fact, two circuit breakers, namely, the switches 13 and 14, which are simultaneously thrown open and successively closed, the circuit breaker 13, which is releasable by current conditions, being the last switch to be replaced and therefore controlling the conditions under which the circuits may be permanently closed. Because of this arrangement all arcing across the blades of the switches is prevented.

Although I have illustrated and described my invention in all its details, it will of course be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the specific arrangement and construction of parts illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification as various changes in these details, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made at any time without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit .of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main circuit and circuit breaker therein, of a shunt circuit, a normally open switch in the shunt circuit, a pole changing switch in the shunt circuit, a motor in the shunt circuit, a member adapted, upon release, to close the switch of the shunt circuit, means operable by opening of the circuit breaker for releasing said member, a rack bar mounted for reciprocation and adapted to be driven by the motor, operative connection between the rack bar and the circuit breaker and switch closing the combination with a main circuit and circuit breaker therein, of a shunt circuit, a normally open switch in the shunt circuit, a pole changing switch in the shunt circuit, a

motor in the shunt circuit, a member adapted, upon release, to close the switch of s the shunt circuit, means operable by openmg of the clrcuit breaker for releasing said member, a rack bar mounted for reciprocation and adapted to be driven by the motor,

operative connection between the rack bar and the circuit breaker and'switch closing member, whereby: movement of the rack bar in one direction will close the circuit breaker and movement ofthe rack bar in/the other direction replace the switch closingv member, means operable by movement of the rack bar for successively reversing the pole changing switch, and means operable by the rack bar for opening the switch of the shunt circuit. v

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main circuit and circuit breaker therein, of a shunt circuit including a switch, a member normally held out of engagement with the switch but released upon opening of the circuit breaker to move into engagement with-and close the switch, a reciprocably mounted. member adapted, when moved in one direction to close the. circuit breaker and when su se- .quently moved in the reverse direction to rethe reciprocating member, a pole changing switch in the shunt circuit controlling the dlrection of rotation of the motor, a rod slidably mounted and connected to the pole changing switch, spaced fingers adjustable upon the rod, and a finger carried by the reciprocating member and engageable with the fingers of the rod to reverse the pole changing switch.

A. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main circuit and circuit breaker therein, of a shunt circuit including a switch, a member normally held out of engagement with the switch but released upon opening of the circuit breaker to move into engagement with and close the switch, a reciprocably mounted member adapted, when moved in, one direction, to close the circuit breaker and when subsequently moved in the reverse direction to replace the switch closing member and open the switch, and means operable by the closing of I the switch for reciprocating said member,

said means including a motor in the shunt circuit operatively connected to the reciprocating member, a pole changing switch in 1,1ca,eee

the shunt circuit controlling the direction of rotation of the motor, a rod slidably mounted and connected to the pole changing switch, spaced fingers adjustable upon the rod, a finger carried by the reci rocating member and engageable with the ngers of the rod to reverse the pole changing switch, a trip finger operatively connected to the first switch, and a finger carried by the reciprocating member and engageable with the latter trip finger.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main circuit, of a circuit breaker therein operable to open upon overload of the circuit, a second circuit breaker in the circuit, mechanical connection between the circuit breakers whereby opening of the first will open the second, a shunt circuit, a normally open switch in the shunt circuit adapted to be closed by opening of the second circuit breaker, a pole changing switch in the shunt circuit, a motor in the shunt circuit, a reciprocating member driven by the motor, and operative connections between the reciprocating member, the pole chan ing switch, the first switch and both circuit breakers for reversing the pole changing switch, openin the first circuit breaker and successively cIosing the first and second circuit breakers.

6, In a device of the character described, the combination with a main circuit and circuit breaker therein, of a shunt circuit, a normally open switch in the shunt circuit, a pole changing switch in the shunt circuit, a motor in the shunt circuit, means releasable upon opening of the circuit breaker for closing the switch of the shunt circuit, a member adapted to be reciprocated by the motor, operative connection between such member and the circuit breaker and switch closing means whereby movement of the member in one direction will close the circuit breaker and movement of the member in the other direction replace the switch closing means, and means operable upon movement of the reciprocating member for successively reverslng the pole changing switch.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination with a main circuit and circuit breaker therein, of a shunt circuit, a normally open switch in the shunt circuit, a pole changing switch in the shunt circuit, a motor in the shunt circuit, means releasable upon opening'of the circuit breaker for closing the switch of the shunt circuit, a member adapted to be reciprocated by the motor, operative connection between such member and the circuit breaker and switch closing means whereby movement of the member in one direction will close the circuit breaker and movement of the member in the other direction replace the switch closing means,

versing the pole changing switch, saidmeans including a projection u on. the reciprocating member, a reciprocab y mounted rod engaging the pole changing switch, and

means carried by the rod for engagement with the projection of the reciprocating member.

8. In a device of the character described, a main circuit, a shunt circuit, a switch normally open in the shunt circuit, a motor and a po e changing switch in the shunt circuit, a reciprocating member driven by the motor, operative connection between the reciprocating member and pole changing switch whereby movement of the reciprocating member will successively reverse the pole changing switch, a pair of circuit breakers in the main circuit, one of which is adapted to open upon overload in the main'circuit, means operable by the opening of such circuit breaker for opening the second circuit breaker, means whereby the opening of the second circuit breaker will close the first switch, means whereby reciprocation of the reciprocating member will successively close the circuit breakers, and operative connection between the reciprocating member and thefirst switch.

9. In a device of the character described, a main circuit, a shunt circuit, a switch normally open in the shunt circuit, a motor and a po e changing switch in the shunt circuit, a reciprocating member driven by the motor, operative connection between the reciprocating member and pole changing switch whereby movement of the reciprocating member will successively reverse the pole changing switch, a pair of circuit breakers in the main circuit, one of which'is adapted to open upon overload in the main circuit, means operable by the opening of such circuit breaker for opening the second circuit breaker, means whereby the opening of the second circuit breaker will close the first switch, means whereby reciprocation of the reciprocating member will successively close the circuit breakers, operative connection between the reciprocating member and the first switch, said connection including a hinged finger mounted for pivotal movement with its terminal free to swing with respect to the body in one direction, but not in the other, a finger projecting from the reciprocating member to engage the terminal of the pivoted finger, a link connected to the hinged finger, a bell crank lever connected to the link, and a second link con necting the bell crank lever with the switch.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main circuit, of a shunt circuit, an overload opening circuit breaker in the main circuit, a second circuit breaker in the main circuit, a locking trip for the second circuit breakeni connection between the moving art of the first circuit breaker and the trip whereby opening of the first circuit breaker will cause opening of the second, and means located in the shunt circuit for successively closing the second and first circuit breakers. 11. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main circuit, of a shunt circuit, i an overload opening circuit breaker in the main circuit, a second circuit breaker in the maintcircuit, a locking trip 15 for the second circuit breaker, operative conoperative nection between the moving part of the first circuit breaker-and the trip whereby opening .of the first circuit breaker will cause opening of the second, and means located in the shunt circuit for successively closing the second and first circuit breakers, said means being controlled by a normally open switch in the shunt circuit which is closed by opening of the second circuit breaker. Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. HOOVER. [us] 1 Witnesses: I

J. H. SEPTER, JOHN Frrcn. 

